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University of Bridgeport awarded grant to combat opioid addiction

Leslie GearySeptember 21, 2018

The University of Bridgeport has been awarded $10,000 in a second round of funding from the Connecticut Department of Mental Health & Addiction Services to amplify opioid-awareness and intervention programs on campus.

The grant is part of the Connecticut Healthy Campus Initiative (CHCI).

The $10,000 continuance grant nearly doubles funding that that has been awarded to the University through the CHCI program in the past year. The original CHCI grant of $11,000 was awarded in September 2017.

“Grant activities at the University of Bridgeport will include trainings and outreach to students, faculty, and staff that promote awareness, prevention, treatment, and recovery activities for opioid-use disorder in order to ultimately reduce opioid-related deaths,” said Director of UB Health Services Melissa H. Lopez, who oversees the program at the University.

Since the University was awarded its original found of CHCI funding last fall, Lopez and leadership from divisions across the University have collaborated on a multipronged approach to educate students about opioids. It includes education and outreach through social media as well as classroom, staff, and faculty trainings.

Campaigns are led by UB Health Services with involvement from the Department of Graphic Design, Department of Student Affairs, Department of Residential Life, Campus Security, and the Department of Counseling and Psychology.

“No institution or community can combat the opioid crisis alone. It requires a team approach, so we are involving the energy, talent, and resources of all of us who work with and care deeply about students’ health,” Lopez said.